Homegrown: March 2011 Calendar

Following are gardening and eco-events coming to Eastern Iowa in March 2011:

Tues. March 1, 7–8:30 pm, Practical Farmers of Iowa Farminar, “Managing Farm Labor” with Eric Franzenburg and Morgan Hoenig. Experienced farmer Eric Franzenburg of Pheasant Run Farm produces corn, soybeans, swine, meat poultry, flowers and high value herbs, near Van Horne, IA. This diverse farm requires the helping hands of many skilled laborers to succeed. Eric will be coaching beginner Morgan Hoenig, Mogo Organics, who began a CSA in 2009. Now in her third year of horticulture production near Mount Pleasant, IA, Morgan plans to hire her first paid laborers. Learn along with Morgan as Eric shares his experiences managing farm employees. You will gain information on hiring employees, employment forms, and labor regulations. To register and participate in the Farminars, visit www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar

 Wed. March 2, 6 p.m., New Perennials for 2011, Free Garden Class presented by: Linn Co. Master Gardeners Deb Walser at the Hiawatha Public Library, 150 West Willman Street. Deb introduces you to some new and unusual perennials and talks about new ways to add spunk to your garden. 

Wed., March 2, 10 a.m., REAL walk, geocaching, Indian Creek Nature Center, 6665 Otis Rd. SE, Cedar Rapids. Join the millions of people who have discovered the fun of using GPS for geocaching and other recreational activities. Naturalist David Brenzel demonstrates how to use a hand-held GPS unit and then takes REAL walkers out for a GPS adventure. Find your way back for coffee and conversation. REAL walks are geared for adults aged 50 or better. Program begins at 10:00am. Cost is $3 for ICNC members; $4 for non-members.  For more information or to register, call 362-0664.

Wed., March 2, 7 p.m., Interested in keeping backyard chickens? The Indian Creek Nature Center will present a workshop at the new Theisen's location (1800 51. Cost is $7 for ICNC members, $10 for nonmembers. 

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St NE in Cedar Rapids) detailing the basic information needed to legally and successfully keep hens in urban and suburban environments. Those who complete the workshop will receive a certificate of completion that meets the City of Cedar Rapids' requirements for keeping backyard hens

Thurs. March 3, 9 a.m. and Fri. March 4, 4 p.m., Prairiewoods, 120 East Boyson Road, Hiawatha. I-Renew is hosting a workshop for professionals looking to begin in the wind business, beginner wind dealers, educators, and homeowners. The event will teach participants how to evaluate a site's wind energy potential, determine wind speeds at proposed heights, make a load profile for a client's energy needs, determine appropriate tower heights, and estimate kWh output for a system based upon wind resources. For more information, visit www.irenew.org or call 319-338-1076. $380 for I-Renew members (non-members $400)

Sat., March 5, 2-4 p.m., Iowa City Public Library, 123 S. Linn St. Backyard Abundance will share ideas for a bright and hopeful future of community resiliency. The film Permaculture: The Growing Edge will be screened. Fun activities will help attendees learn how they can contribute to local community-building projects. The event is free. For more information, visit the Backyard Abundance website at http://www.BackyardAbundance.org or call 319-325-6810.

Sat., March 5, 10-11 a.m. and 11 a.m. to noon, How to Select the Best Daylilies. Linn County Extension Office, 3279 7th Avenue, Marion. Zora Ronan, Linn County Master Gardener and American Hemerocallis Garden judge, will show you what to look for and how to select the best daylilies.  The second session – 11:00 a.m. – noon is a continuation of the first session.  Exploration of the many forms, patterns, and colors will be addressed.  Also, she will cover the difference between full formed, spider and unusual daylilies. No basic information will be covered in either class. Class size limited to 60 – no charge – open to the public. Register by calling Linn County Extension Office, 319-377-9839.

Sat., March 5 and Sun., March 6, 8:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Indian Creek Nature Center 28www.indiancreeknaturecenter.org

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Annual Maple Syrup Festival. Maple trees will soon begin pushing sap up their trunks to become the year's first and sweetest crop – maple syrup! In 2010, a record crowd enjoyed a delicious breakfast of pancakes, sausage and real Nature Center maple syrup.  Around the grounds are live demonstrations of sap collecting and syrup making, re-enactments of American Indian and early colonial sugarmaking, live music and more.  Hours are 8:30am until 12:30pm each day. Education Coordinator, Jan Aiels, says syruping activities go on throughout the month of March.  “We provide syruping programs for small groups by appointment between March 2

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,” says Aiels. “These programs include tree tapping, sap boiling, history and lore and end with a taste of delicious syrup over ice cream. It's a wonderful way for children to learn a fascinating heritage craft.” Advance tickets for the Festival are $7 for adults; $4 for children 3-12; tickets are $1 more at the door.  Groups interested in scheduling individual programs should call the Nature Center at 362-0664 to reserve a time slot.  Additional information can be found on the Public Programs page of the Nature Center's website at

Sat., March 5, 7:30 p.m., The Linn County Conservation Department and the Cedar Amateur Astronomers are presenting “What's in a Name?” How Stars and Other Heavenly Objects Get Their Names at the Eastern Iowa Observatory and Learning Center south of Mt. Vernon.  Presenter: Brent Studer, Kirkwood Community College, will present this first astronomy program of the season.  Every beginning astronomer must confront a bewildering collection of names and numbers assigned to celestial objects. Although they seem designed to confuse the uninitiated, there is method to all the madness. Come and learn how names were historically assigned and what modern conventions astronomers use to identify and catalog the heavens. Donations accepted. The observatory is located on Ivanhoe Road 2 miles west of Highway 1, south of Mt Vernon.  For more details call 892-6485 or 848-2068. Donations accepted.

Sun., March 6, 2-4 p.m., Second Sunday Garden Forum, sponsored by the Iowa City Public Library and Project GREEN, meeting room A of Iowa City Public Library. (Programs are live on The Library Channel, Iowa City cable channel 10.)  Deb Walser is a Master Gardener from Linn County. She has worked for many years at a Cedar Rapids nursery specializing in perennials. You may have heard her on Saturday and Wednesdays on the WMT radio Master Gardener show answering questions from listeners on a broad range of gardening topics. This is Deb's second garden forum appearance. Deb will be discussing what's new in perennials for 2011 and the proper time and method to divide and transplant perennials.

NOTE: The registration deadline for the following is Tuesday, March 8: Linn County Conservation Department is again offering an eight-week class designed for individuals interested in conservation, but have had no formal training.  The sessions will be held March10, 17, 24, and 31and also on April 7, 14, 21 and 28(Thursdays). Each three-hour session will begin at 6 p.m. at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center. Two field trips will be held on Saturdays in April.  Topics for the classes will include Eastern Iowa geology and soils, state preserves and endangered species, wildlife ecology, sustainable agriculture,  urban water conservation, riparian restoration and Iowa forestry. Classes will be led by professionals from the Iowa DNR, local college professors and other conservationists.  To receive their certificates, program participants will be required to complete at least 24 hours of classes and 32 hours of community service. Teacher recertification credits are through Grant Wood AEA.  Please email Gail at gail.barels@linncounty.org or call 892- 6485 for more information or for the registration form. Cost is $45 per participant.  The registration forms will also be available online at www.linncountyparks.com. 

Tues., March 8, 9:30-10:30 a.m., Bring your preschooler to the Indian Creek Nature Center to experience a unique, fun pioneer activity that can only happen in late winter. Listen to a Native American legend, tap a tree, learn how we gather and boil sap and visit the sugarhouse to see how sap is turned into syrup. The hour ends with a taste of our real maple syrup on ice cream! Cost is $3 for each child or adult.  Call 362-0664 to register.  (Program repeats Friday, March 11

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Tues., March 8, doors open 6:30 p.m.; program at 7:30 p.m., Prairie Preview XXVIII,  Parkview Evangelical Free Church, 15 Foster Road, Iowa City. Panel discussion on rain gardens and beyond by Liz Maas, Restoration Ecologist; Judith Krieg, PWS-President, EarthView Environmental, LLC & President of Take a Kid Outdoors; Fred Meyer, Executive Director, Backyard Abundance; Chant Eicke, Senior Environmental Scientist, EarthView Environmental, LLC and Community Conservationist and Jason Grimm, Food Systems Planner, Iowa Valley RC&D. Program includes information and displays from local environmental organizations and agencies. Refreshments Provided. For more information, call 319 338-7030 or visit www.jcht.org . This program is sponsored by the Johnson County Heritage Trust, Friends of Hickory Hill Park, Project GREEN, Four Seasons Garden Club Environmental Advocates, Johnson County Songbird Project, Johnson County Conservation Board, and the Department of Natural Resources.

Tues., March 8, 7-8:30 p.m., Practical Farmers of Iowa Farminar, “Building Wholesale Relationships” with Mike Krogh and Derek Roller. Farmers, do you want to sell to wholesale outlets like groceries and restaurants? Grocers and chefs, are you interested in offering more local fare? Hear from both sides of the transaction to learn how to build strong wholesale relationships that are beneficial to both parties. Discover how New Pioneer's Local Produce Program Manager, Mike Krogh, works with farmers to stock stores with local produce. New Pioneer is Iowa City's natural food cooperative and has a mission to serve the needs of its members and to stimulate local agricultural production of natural and organic foods by providing a market for such foods. You will also learn from Derek Roller, who operates Echollective Farm near Iowa City. For 10 years Echollective has grown vegetables, herbs, flowers and hay. Derek markets products to New Pioneer Coop, Iowa City restaurants, Iowa City's downtown farmers' markets and through a community supported agriculture (CSA) program. To register and participate in the Farminars, visit www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar

Thurs., March 10 - Sun., March 13, During two workshops, Backyard Abundance will explore ways residents can create thriving and interactive neighborhoods through collaboration and social engagement. Both workshops take place at Willowwind School, 950 Dover St., Iowa City. At the introductory workshop at 6 p.m. Thursday, The Turning Point Film will be screened. The film features visionary leaders in the fields of Human Ecology and Global Transition. It takes an inspiring look at our potential to create a life-sustaining society as we face the twin challenges of Peak Oil and Climate Change. A $10 donation is requested. The second workshop begins at 6 p.m. Friday, and then continues Saturday and Sunday from 9:00 am to 6:00 pm. Through fun and engaging activities, participants will meet others and gain valuable insights into how their unique interests can enhance their neighborhood. The cost is $75 - $200 on a sliding scale. For more information and to register, visit the Backyard Abundance website at http://www.BackyardAbundance.org or call 319-325-6810.

Sat., March 12, 8:30 a.m. to 2:30 p.m., Annual Green Scene Garden Symposium, Waterloo Center for the Arts, 225 Commercial St., Waterloo. The $20 registration fee includes five gardening presentations and lunch. Kelly Conrad will present "Plant Propagation," Jolene Rosauer will discuss "Color in the Garden," "Ergonomics in the Garden" will be discuss by Dr. Michael O'Hara; "What's New in Hosta": will be shared by Josh Spece and Jackie Frink will present "Flower Arranging."  A gardener's market will be open, featuring displays from speakers and products from area retailers. Send a check made payable to Green Scene Syposium to P.O. Box 2004, Wateroo, IA 50704. Green Scene is a local non-profit volunteer organization that has given over a half-million dollars to Black Hawk County for tree plantings and county beautification projects since its inception in 1976.

Sat., March 12,  Free seminars: “Beginning Orchid Care” by Al Pierson, 10 a.m.; “Beginning Bonsai Care” by Eastern Iowa Bonsai Club, 2 p.m.,  Piersons Flower Shop & Greenhouses, 1800 Ellis Blvd NW, Cedar Rapids. http://www.epiersons.com/

Sat., March 12, 1–5 p.m., local food producer education & training program, Linn County ISU Extension, 3279 7th Ave., Suite 140 Marion, hosted by Iowa Valley RC&D.  As you plan your farm business what types of markets are you hoping to sell your products at? Do you want to sell at farmers markets, your local grain elevator, to restaurants, wholesale to groceries, distributors, or even schools? Come and learn from Andy Larson, ISU Extension program specialist for small farm sustainability, and Nick McCann, Agriculture Marketing Specialist for the National Center for Appropriate Technology. Nick and Andy will give you the pros and cons of each marketing option and introduce you to best practices witheach option. Limited to 20 attendees. Call (319)622-3264. Last minute walk-ins possible as space allows. Workshop fee: $10.

 Sat., March 12, 1-2 p.m., Bring the whole family to the Indian Creek Nature Center and travel back in time on a guided adventure to learn about American Indian and early Colonial syrup and sugarmaking. Learn to identify a maple tree in winter, discover how maple trees make sweet sap, use the sugarmaker's tools to tap a tree and visit a Vermont-style sugarhouse to learn how sap becomes syrup. End with a taste of maple syrup on ice cream. Cost is $3 per person.  Call 362-0664 to register.

Tues., March 15, 7 p.m., The Linn County Conservation Department is holding a presentation entitled, Iowaville: Archaeology at a 1765 – 1820 Iowa Tribe Village, at Wickiup Hill Outdoor Learning Center near Toddville. Archaeologist Cindy Peterson, Office of the State Archaeologist at the University of Iowa, will present a program on recent archaeological excavations at “Iowaville.” Iowaville is a village of the Iowa Tribe in the southern part of the state. This was the tribe's last large village within Iowa before the group was forced west and south.  With a maximum population of around 1,000 persons, traces of site occupation include large pit features and a large circular ditch, along with many artifacts,  such as trade goods and animal bone.Costis$2.50/adult,$1/child16and under,or$5/family.

 Tues., March 15, 6 p.m., Brucemore, 2160 Linden Dr. SE, Cedar Rapids, Join Val Ortberg, a neighborhood gardener, and the Brucemore Gardeners for Pruning Perennials Workshop. During this presentation and discussion, participants will learn how and when to properly prune perennials for sturdier plants with more flowers and longer blooming. Participants will have ample opportunity to ask questions and seek gardening advice about their own gardens. The presentation will be held in Brucemore's Visitor Center.

Limited space available; advance reservations are required. Admission is $15 per person or $12 per Brucemore member. Please call (319) 362-7375 or stop by the Brucemore store to make reservations or visit www.brucemore.org for more information.

Tues., March 15, 6-8 p.m., Seed Starters workshop at Prairiewoods in Hiawatha.  Imagine luscious red tomatoes, shiny green peppers, beautiful purple eggplants, and fragrant herbs ... all starting as the smallest of seeds! Join a fun and informative class that will help you start seeds for your own garden and teach you how to care for them as they grow. The class will include a starter flat, soil, and seeds (tomatoes, green peppers, eggplants, herbs, and more). Some seed varieties are heirloom. Cost is $10 and pre-registration is required by Friday, March 11. Space is limited to 12 participants, so please register early!

 Tues., March 15, 7–8:30 pm, Farminar,  “CSA Members as Partners” with Elizabeth Henderson. Community supported agriculture (CSA) fosters a relationship between farmers and their customers in which customers have a keen interest in their food system. By taking a partnership role, your member customers can help you increase productivity and profits. Hear from Elizabeth Henderson how to better integrate members into your CSA through core groups, work hours, distribution and farm events.  Elizabeth Henderson farms at Peacework Farm in Wayne County, NY, and has been producing organically grown vegetables for the fresh market for almost 30 years. She is a founding member of the Northeast Organic Farming Association (NOFA) in Massachusetts, has been on the Board of Directors of NOFA-NY since 1989 and represents NOFA in the national discussions of organic standards and on the Steering Committee of the Agricultural Justice Project. She has received numerous awards and honors, and is an accomplished author. Most notably she wrote Sharing the Harvest, a mainstay resource for CSA farmers. To register and participate in the Farminars, visit www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar

 Wed., March 16, 7-8:30 p.m., Almost Full Moon Owl Hike, Prairiewoods. The barred owl asks: “Whooooo cooks for you - whoooo cooks for you all?” While we may not answer the barred owl's question this evening, we hope to answer some of yours about these local residents. Participants will spend the first part of the class indoors learning about owls. After that Linn County Conservationist and expert owl caller, Chuck Ungs, will lead us on a moonlit hike and owl-calling escapade. People frequently are surprised to learn that owls will be sitting on eggs or hatching owlets at this time of the year. Fee: $4 for one person or $10 for a family.

 Sat., March 19, 1-2 p.m., Bring the whole family to the Indian Creek Nature Center and travel back in time on a guided adventure to learn about American Indian and early Colonial syrup and sugarmaking. Learn to identify a maple tree in winter, discover how maple trees make sweet sap, use the sugarmaker's tools to tap a tree and visit a Vermont-style sugarhouse to learn how sap becomes syrup. End with a taste of maple syrup on ice cream. Cost is $3 per person.  Call 362-0664 to register.

 Sun., March 20, 2 p.m., Spring (Vernal) Equinox, Prairiewoods, Hiawatha. Come one, come all to celebrate the return of springtime. On this day, the sun is at its midway mark, halfway between midwinter and midsummer. The springtime is a time of new beginnings, new possibilities, and re-birth. We will celebrate this day as a gift and affirm our own new beginnings as well as those of the earth. Plan for a fun-filled afternoon that includes poetry, ponderings, and time spent outdoors. All ages are welcome. Free-will offering.

 Tues., March 22, 6-7:30 p.m., New Pioneer Coop, Coralville. (map) Backyard Chickens with Misha Goodman. $15/person. Would it be fun to gather eggs from your own backyard chickens? Would it make sense financially? How much work is involved? What are the positives and negatives? Join Misha Goodman of Iowa City Animal Services as she outlines what is needed for a suitable chicken house, laying-nest boxes, and a backyard enclosure. Misha will offer helpful tips on chick sources, proper feeding, keeping the hens safe from predators, and what to do with chicken waste. Refreshments will be served.

 Tues., March 22, 7–8:30 pm, Farminar, “Profitable Grass-based Livestock Systems” with Cody Holmes and Torray and Erin Wilson. Thirty-seven year veteran rancher and author Cody Holmes will teach Torray and Erin Wilson how to plan for a profitable grazing system, how to work smarter with animals,  how to track sales and costs, and how to maintain profit with grass–based livestock. Cody's philosophy recognizes that a holistic systems approach can be used successfully in all aspects of ranching and home life by incorporating two critical components: planning and decision-making. Cody and his wife, Dawnnell, along with their daughter, Taylor, manage 450 cow/calf pairs, 300 sheep, 70 hogs, 1,500 poultry, and 12 dairy cows on 1,000 acres in southern Missouri. They also operate a retail meat sales home delivery service. Torray grew up on the farm where they currently live near Paulina, Iowa. Erin grew up on a dairy farm in northeast Iowa. They practice holistic management while grazing beef cattle, dairy cattle, sheep, and help with the family niche pork operation that includes pasture farrowing. Their chickens are sold locally through farmers' market; pork is sold on contract with Niman Ranch; and lamb is split between direct market sales and ethnic markets through a sale barn. To register and participate in the Farminars, visit www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar

Sat., March 26, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m. and Sun., March 27, 11 a.m. to 3 p.m., Vinton Home and Garden Show, Vinton-Shellsburg High School. Adults: $2.50; children: free. Contact Kurt's Enterprises at (319) 981-3247 for more information.

 Sat., March 26, 1-2 p.m., The Indian Creek Nature Center takes you back in time for a guided adventure to learn about American Indian and early Colonial syrup and sugarmaking. Learn to identify a maple tree in winter, discover how maple trees make sweet sap, use the sugarmaker's tools to tap a tree and visit a Vermont-style sugarhouse to learn how sap becomes syrup. End with a taste of maple syrup on ice cream. Cost is $3 per person.  Call 362-0664 to register.

 Sat., March 26, 1-5 p.m., Iowa City Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) Fair, Social Hall of the Robert A. Lee Community Recreation Center.

Sun., March 27, 3 p.m., Farm tour of Abbe Hills Farm, 825 Abbe Hills Road, Mount Vernon, and Susan Jutz farm in rural Solon, sponsored by the River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local. Meet at Abbe Hills Farm to start. Do you know where your food comes from?  Some of the best locally produced food comes from two farms in eastern Iowa, you are invited to tour these farms.  The River Bend Chapter of Buy Fresh Buy Local, along with Mount Vernon area producers Laura Krouse and Susan Jutz, invite interested persons to tour their farms on Sunday afternoon, March 27.  The tours will cover the farms basic operations and also demonstrate the use of high tunnels used to extend the growing season for fruit and vegetable production.  Interested persons should meet at 3:00 p.m. at Abbe Hills Farm, 825 Abbe Hills Road, Mount Vernon.  For a map and other information, go to www.abbehills.com.  For information on the farm operated by Susan Jutz, go to http://www.zjfarms.com/ 

Tues., March 29, 6-9 p.m., Managing Wildlife lecture, ISU Linn County Extension, 3279 7th Avenue, Suite 140, Marion. Rebecca Christoffel, Iowa State University Extension Wildlife Specialist will talk about the life and habits of various mammals and other animals that visit our yards/gardens.  She will discuss management techniques for some and acceptance for others.  She may bring some animals with her! The lecture is FREE, but registration is requested by March 25th, as space is limited.  To register please call Linn County Extension at 319-377-9839 or email benesh1@iastate.edu.

Tues., March 29, 7–8:30 pm, Farminar, “Brokering Tips” with Nick Wallace and Ryan Marquardt. Demand for local products is on the rise. Selling other farmers' products has great potential for expanding the profitability of your direct sales while helping other farmers expand their sales. Get some great advice from Nick Wallace on maintaining fairness, transparency and accountability when brokering products for other farmers. Nick and his father Steve raise mixed livestock near Keystone, IA, on more than 80 acres of high-quality forages. Their farm business, Wallace Farms, sells its own products as well as products raised by other farmers direct to consumers in cities around Iowa and in Chicago. Nick will be coaching Ryan Marquardt, who farms with his wife Janice on 40 acres near Reasnor, IA. Their farm Wild Rose Pastures sells specialty “pastured” products including eggs, broiler chickens and turkeys through their farm website, the Iowa Food Cooperative and at Picket Fence Creamery events. They are just beginning to sell products from other farmers. To register and participate in the Farminars, visit www.practicalfarmers.org/farminar

Wed., March 30, 6:30–7:30 p.m. “For the Birds” Class, Prairiewoods, Hiawatha. This class is for the birds - literally! Help the birds with their nests this spring by making a Grapevine Nesting Globe stuffed with bird nesting goodies. Take it home, hang it outside, and watch the birds go crazy! It's fun, creative, and a great way to help our feathery friends. The globes are all natural and refillable. Pre-registration is required by March 16 so supplies can be ordered. Fee: $12.

Fri., April 1, 5-8 p.m., Linn County Local Farmer and CSA Fair, Prairiewoods, Hiawatha. Learn how to add fresh, locally grown vegetables and herbs to your diet by attending the Second Annual Linn County Local Farmer and CSA Fair. Various food-growing farmers will have information about how you can support local growers throughout the year. Community Supported Agriculture (CSA) offers members a share of the harvest in advance of the growing season. In return, you receive a weekly supply of locally-grown vegetables and herbs. Snacks, beverages, music and children's activities will be available during the fair.

Fri., April 1,8:30 a.m., Cedar Rapids Library Seuss Room, Westdale mall. Women who own or manage farmland in Linn and neighboring counties, and new or beginning farmers interested in finding land to farm, are invited to participate in a FREE informal discussion. This gathering will be an informal discussion designed to allow women landowners the opportunity to talk about what they are looking for in a tenant. It will also be a chance for new and beginning farmers to share their goals and plans with the people who could be their future landlady, or who will have the same values and ideas that their future landlady will hold. This talk will be facilitated by female experts who can share resources available such as USDA cost-share programs, state loans, creative conservation-oriented farm leases, and other tools. All interested women are welcome, including owners, operators and inheritors of farmland, and new and beginning farmers, regardless of their degree of knowledge. A free lunch will be provided. In order for us to get an accurate meal count, please RSVP by Monday, March 28, by emailing Lynn Heuss at lheuss@gmail.com, or by calling her at (515) 201-9405.  This project is funded by the Beginning Farmer and Rancher Development Program of the National Institute of Food and Agriculture, USDA, Grant # 2010-49400-21843. These meetings are sponsored by Women, Food and Agriculture Network in partnership with Practical Farmers of Iowa. For more information about the program, call Leigh Adcock of WFAN at 515.460.2477 or email info@wfan.org.

 Sat., April 2, 9:00 a.m. to 2:00 p.m., Awakening the Dreamer, Changing the Dream Symposium, Prairiewoods Franciscan Spirituality Center, 120 E. Boyson Rd., Hiawatha. Event costs $30 (including lunch) and is open to the public. Facilitator: Sister Jeanne Christensen and Kate Becker. Join Prairiewoods, the Sisters of Mercy West Midwest Justice Team, and Mount Mercy University as we experience and explore a new global vision built on environmental sustainability, social justice, and spiritual fulfillment. This half-day event combines presentation, group interaction and multimedia. Together, we will journey into our current world state, explore how we see ourselves in the world today, and gain a deeper sense of global awareness and the means to take personal and collective action. Visit www.awakeningthedreamer.org for more information. There will be an optional ATD facilitator training following the Symposium from 2:30 to 4:30 p.m. (Attendance at the Symposium is required.) The cost of the optional training is $100 and includes a manual and DVD. Please register by Tuesday, March 29, by calling 319-395-6700 or visiting www.prairiewoods.org. Limited lodging is available at Prairiewoods for an additional cost.